Commemoration

Ceremony of the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings, at Colleville-Montgomery, 6 June 2019. © Laurent Blevennec/Présidence de la République In France, there is a passion for remembrance, whether it is honouring veterans who distinguished themselves in contemporary conflicts, paying tribute to...

While there are some past events, historical figures, wars and battles which it goes without saying should be commemorated, that is not so for all the narratives that have forged our national history or the remembrance they have engendered. Whereas some foreign nations meet annually on a “Memorial D...

France has a rich remembrance heritage, inherited from a history of contemporary conflicts that have been played out primarily within its borders. Today, war memorials, most certainly the oldest remembrance sites, museums, monuments and steles, national cemeteries and Major National Remembrance Site...

Commemorations give rise to unique gatherings of people who come together in the same spirit to remember a glorious or painful past, pay tribute to soldiers’ bravery or honour the memory of those who died. Highly ritualised, official ceremonies are structured around the presence of civilian and mili...

Commemorations, which seem to have grown in number and scope in recent years, are sometimes criticised for being ossified and repetitive in nature. Yet they are evolving considerably today, putting spectators in the role of protagonists of the commemorations and drawing on every discipline, from the...